Tangradi gets fourth goal of weekend, Payerl notches first pro tally

HERSHEY, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins could not make it three consecutive wins as they were edged by the Hershey Bears, 3-2, on Sunday at GIANT Center.

Trailing 2-1 after the second period of play, the Penguins thought they had tied the game when Phil Dupuis put back a loose puck in the crease. The goal was disallowed after video replay showed that the puck had been kicked into the net.

Hershey used the break to their advantage as Ryan Stoa put the Bears ahead by two at 4:39 of the third, getting loose in the slot and sending a one-timer past Penguins goalie Jeff Zatkoff.

Eric Tangradi continued his big weekend when he got Wilkes-Barre/Scranton within striking distance, tucking in a power play goal under sprawled-out netminder Dany Sabourin with 5:26 to play. The tally was Tangradi’s fourth in three contests and his team-leading fifth of the season.

After a scoreless first period, the Bears went ahead 14 seconds into the second when Zatkoff stopped Cameron Schilling’s turnaround shot, but Mike Carman lifted the rebound into the top corner.

Hershey then doubled its lead at 13:29 of the same period with Wilke-Barre/Scranton on the penalty kill. Zach Hamill gathered a loose puck at Bears’ blueline and outraced the defense before ripping home a slapshot from the far dot.

Just after that same man-advantage expired, Adam Payerl scored his first pro goal to cut the Hershey lead in half. The Penguins center fluttered a wrist shot from the near circle under the arm of Sabourin and made the score 2-1 with 4:40 remaining until the intermission.

Zatkoff took the loss as he made 13 saves on 16 shots. Sabourin turned aside 20 shots for the Bears.